Objective advice

[Killer Miller]

The style is not that important. Here are the important factors of a dojo decision.

1. Does the classes start structured and end structured. Are students just playing around during class time and hitting bags and the instructor BSing with someone.

2. Does the dojo allow you to watch their class. I've seen many that won't allow a perspective student not watch their class to see what it is. Sign up first...

3. What are the attitudes of the students. Are they "cocky?" Do they give you mean stares while you are watching the class?

4. Does the student's/instructor's technique look good? Tail bone sticking out, elbows out, loose and uncontrolled body parts when executing techniques.

5. Does the Dojo want you to sign a contract? Are they professional and respectful to you when you inquire about classes? Do they "bad mouth" other MA systems as part of their presentation to you? Walk away...

6. Etc., etc, etc. You get the idea.

There are many signs of good and bad dojos. Nobody can tell you that. You have to just get out there and actually look at their classes while they are teaching/training. I would never sign up a person without them coming and seeing or participating in a class first - unless they were familiar with us prior.

An MA friend and myself didn't have anything to do one day. So we hit all of the local dojos just for fun - acting as if we knew absolutely NOTHING about MA. We were very surprised as to the results and extreme varieties of dojos. We would ask the typical questions, and if they were "out there a bit," we would ask some really off-the-wall questions to see how they would respond. It was very entertaining to say the least. Another time, when I wasn't teaching at the moment, I took my youngest daughter to look for a dojo because she wanted to take MA classes with some friends. We went to watch through their window in our car. The entire class "stopped" (including the instructors), looked and stared at us, and would not continue the class untill we left. My daughter and I were busting up laughing at them in the process, not to make fun, but it was so funny we could not stop laughing... So we left and went around the corner to let the class start up again, just for fun, drove around the block and returned - to see their reaction. You could see the "their back" routine going on. Again the entire class stopped and stared. We had enough and left. Prior to all this, we were going to go inside and get some information about their classes - BUT NOT NOW...

So, there are many great styles and great instructors, and there are a lot of bad ones too. If it meets your needs, you feel good about it, and you feel better mentally and physically, that's all that matters. I'm always going to be "Pro Shotokan," but that doesn't mean that there are not other great systems out there too. Just open up you eyes to find them.

- Killer -